James 4:1-10

“The LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God” – Deuteronomy 6:15

I wonder how those words make us feel. Is jealousy an attribute we easily associate with God, when human jealousy is so often sinful and destructive?
But God’s jealousy over his people is entirely good and right; he made us and he redeemed us, so he has an exclusive claim over us.

In James 4, God’s jealousy is why double-mindedness (A.K.A. spiritual adultery!) is such a big deal; we leave him, to run after other things, and James is clear that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (V4). What a convicting statement, and a terrifying prospect of being an enemy of God!

But wonderfully there is grace (V6-10); when we – his adulterous people – humbly return to God, we know for certain that he will have us back and help us live lives of undivided faithfulness to him.

(On Sunday we sang ‘Undivided’ by Emu Music – a song that ties in so well with these themes from James. You can listen here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RntDPMzfn90)